Day Trips | July 2021

By Jeremy Dunn, Select Group Videographer

With everything that has happened this past year we are finally seeing the end of that tunnel and with that many changes in our world. As we slowly start prepping for holidays, vacations and more, here are a few places that would make amazing Day Trips near you!

Vic’s Ice Cream

A trip to Old Town Sacramento or the Zoo is a nice way to spend some time. A visit to Vic’s Ice Cream afterward is the cherry-on-top.

Tucked away in the tree-lined Land Park neighborhood of Sacramento, Vic’s has been a community favorite for generations. Opened in 1947, this ice cream parlor and diner retains its original post-war atmosphere.

When you take a seat at the counter, it’s easy to imagine you’re on the set of Back to the Future, complete with a black-and-white checkered floor and a row of milkshake blenders.

In addition to handmade ice cream, malts and sandwiches, they serve phosphates. A phosphate is a soft drink, but instead of using carbonated water, it has a bit of acid phosphate to give it a tangy zip. This type of pop fell out of favor with the decline of fountain drinks and the advent of bottled soda. Vic’s is one of the few places that still serves this beverage.

While retro-themed diners have been around for decades, Vic’s is the real-deal. So don’t be surprised to find a line of people outside waiting to cool off with some old-school refreshments.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.550139,-121.5056404,15z

Fly Geysers

The Black Rock Desert northwest of Reno is an area of mystical adventures. Indeed, it has been the site of Burning Man since 1991. While that event remains on hold for 2021, the nearby Fly Ranch offers some other-worldly sights to see.

Much of Northern Nevada is geothermally active. Naturally occurring hot springs dot the landscape surrounding the Black Rock Desert. In 1917, developers sank an irrigation well on the property of Fly Ranch. However, the water was too hot for their purposes. Left uncapped, the well became a geyser as the hot, mineral-rich water created a 12-foot-tall formation known as The Wizard.

In 1964, prospectors drilled another well, this time for geothermal exploration. The well was capped, but the seal didn’t hold. The high-pressure geyser that resulted has continued to grow ever since. Heat-loving algae have taken home in this fountain, creating surreal color patterns or red, green and yellow. The cascading water has formed a series of travertine pools and terraces.

A third, volcanic shaped geyser was discovered in 1996. Although much smaller than its predecessors, it is growing at a rate of six inches a year.

Fly Ranch was purchased by the Burning Man organization in 2016. The geysers are on private land, but guided interpretive tours are available through the Friends of the Black Rock. In addition to viewing the geysers, the tour provides details on the flora and fauna of the area, in addition to the history of this enchanted land.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.8555387,-119.3352312,13.75z